Impressive displays for Germany: BVB star silences critics | OneFootball

Joey Veerman has made a strong start at Borussia Dortmund. The midfielder has also recently impressed in the Netherlands national team shirt – even prompting one of his longtime critics to rethink his stance.

After Euro 2024, Veerman was left out for a long time under then-Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman. Only under his successor Xavi Hernández has the 27-year-old now returned to the national team setup. Veerman came on as a substitute against Germany and then started against Serbia.

Xavi also showed faith in the Dortmund player against Greece. Veerman repaid that trust, setting up Virgil van Dijk’s goal from a corner in the 2-2 draw – his first direct goal contribution since returning to Oranje. Before that, he had already played the pass before the assist for the winner against Serbia.

With his strong performances, the new BVB signing has now also convinced one of his biggest critics: Johan Derksen. For years, the Dutch TV pundit had repeatedly criticized Veerman and initially openly supported Koeman’s decision to leave the midfielder out.

“Koeman criticized Veerman. He felt he didn’t fit into the team, and I agreed with that. Because Veerman is a fantastic footballer, but when possession is lost, he doesn’t get involved in the game. Then you’re playing ten against eleven,” Derksen explained on his podcast Groeten uit Grolloo.

After the Netherlands’ 2-1 win over Serbia, however, Derksen had words of praise for Veerman: “Our man from Volendam, who had a serious falling-out with Koeman, has now played twice under Xavi and is also doing surprisingly well at Dortmund,” he said about the midfielder.

“He is still working on something somewhere. He is highly motivated, because little by little he is proving Koeman wrong,” Derksen added on the show Vandaag Inside.

Veerman is making his case

The BVB player is currently getting the chance to win over his critics on two fronts. In Dortmund, he quickly put himself in the spotlight after his move from PSV Eindhoven. With Oranje, he is back after a two-year absence and seems capable of taking on an important role under new coach Xavi.

The fact that Veerman is now playing a bigger role is also down to his performances. Against Greece, his corner for Van Dijk provided the decisive spark in the Dutch comeback. The match ended 2-2 after they had trailed 0-2.

Photo: IMAGO

However, the criticism has not fallen completely silent. Feyenoord legend Willem van Hanegem warned after Veerman’s displays against speaking of a definitive solution for the Dutch midfield just yet. “Stop it, and don’t immediately act as if he is now making the difference,” van Hanegem said with regard to Veerman.

So Veerman has not won over all of his critics yet. But after the past few weeks, his return to Oranje has gone far more successfully than many expected. That is especially a positive sign for BVB: the midfielder is not only gaining valuable international match practice, but also providing arguments for his role in Dortmund.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.